The invention relates to a fishing diver or sinker for carrying bait or a lure down to deeper depths when trolling.
The invention provides a diver which is clamped to a fishing line extending therethrough. In the latched condition, the diver is locked onto the line. In the unlatched condition, the diver may freely slide along the line. When the fish bites, the latch trips, and the line slides freely through the diver, whereby the fish need not pull the diver along with it, which otherwise may result in increased line breakage.
The line length between the diver and the fish is adjustable, which may be desirable for differing locales or for certain types of fish. Regardless of the line length between the diver and the fish, when the fish bites and the latch is released, the fish is directly reeled in and netted because the trolling line extends through the diver and is also the baiting line. In contrast, if a first trolling line is tied to the front of the diver, and a second separate baiting line is tied to the rear of the diver, the length of the baiting line cannot be greater than the length of the fishing pole, otherwise the fish cannot be netted when reeled all the way in. This maximum limit on the length of the bait line may be undesirable.
The present invention relates to an improvement in U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,687 issued Feb. 4, 1986, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. In that patent, the fishing line extends contiguously along the planar surface of a diving plane. In the released condition, the diving plane slides freely along the line in the trolling direction, minimizing drag and line breakage. The diving plane has an upstanding fin extending rearwardly, with the fishing line being guided rearwardly through the base of the fin along the diving plane. Releasable latch means on the diving plane has a latched condition clamping the diving plane to the line, and a released condition responsive to the strike of a fish unclamping the diving plane from the line and enabling the diving plane to slide along the line in the trolling direction with the line sliding freely through the base of the fin. The line extends rectilinearly along the top planar surface of the diving plane between front and rear guide members in each of the latched and released conditions.
The invention set forth in the '687 patent further provides extended line life because the line is not pulled away from friction grip jaws or the like in a ripping or frictionally releasing type manner. Instead, a latch arm, for example made of steel or the like, is subjected to frictional clamping and unclamping wear and tear with frictional jaws, whereby to substantially diminish the line breakage by saving the line from undergoing such stress.
The above-described '687 patent generally provides an effective fishing diver designed in several areas to reduce stress on the fishing line. However, it has been discovered that the point of contact between the fishing line and the eyelet on the distal end of the latch arm is so small in surface area so as to create a particularly susceptible contact point where line breakage may occur. As a result, it is desirable to provide an improved fishing diver wherein the trolling or reel end of the fishing line will continuously engage an increased surface area at the latch arm eyelet so as to further minimize line breakage in both the latched and unlatched or released positions of the latch arm.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fishing diver having a protective, flexible sleeve which surrounds a portion of the fishing line in a manner which will minimize line breakage. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved fishing diver which allows a prior art fishing diver to be easily modified or retrofit with a line protecting sleeve. Another object of the present invention is to provide a fishing diver provided with an enhanced latch arrangement which is secured to variously-shaped diving planes. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a fishing diver which is economical to manufacture and operates generally similarly to prior art fishing divers.
In one aspect of the invention, a fishing diver includes a diving plane, and guide structure on the diving plane for guiding a fishing line along the plane of the diving plane through the guide structure. One end of the line extends to a baiting lure and the other end of the line is reelable for trolling. The fishing diver also includes a releasable latch arm on the diving plane having a latched condition clamping the diving plane to the line such that upon trolling the diver dives downwardly at an angle to the trolling line. The latch arm also has a released condition responsive to the strike of fish on the lure unclamping the diving plane from the line and providing free sliding passage of the line through the guide structure along the plane of the diving plane, the line through the guide structure extending substantially parallel to the plane of the diving plane in the released condition of the latch arm. The latch arm includes an eyelet guiding the other end of the line therethrough and then forwardly through the guide structure. The invention is improved by means of an arrangement for protecting the other end of the line as it passes through the eyelet whereby to minimize breakage of the line thereat. In the preferred embodiment, the arrangement is embodied in a deformable sleeve surrounding the line in the vicinity of the eyelet, the sleeve being defined by an elongated coil spring having one end attached to the latch arm. In the latched condition, the other end of the line is engaged against an inner surface of the spring, and in the released condition, the other end of the spring is disengaged from the inner surface of the spring. The diving plane has a circular or rectangular profile and may take the form of a trolling planer.
In another aspect of the invention, a fishing diver includes a diving plane and guiding structure on the diving plane for guiding a fishing line. One end of the line extends to a baiting lure of the leg and the other end of the line is reelable for trolling or the like. The fishing diver includes a releasable latch member on the diving plane having a latched condition virtually engaged with latching structure on the diving plane at a first portion of the latch member and clamping the diving plane to the line at a second portion of the latch member such that upon trolling the diver dives downwardly at an angle to the trolling line. Latch member has a released condition responsive to the strike of a fish on the lure unclamping the first portion of the latch member from the latching structure to unclamp the diving plane from the line at the second portion of the latch member and provide free sliding passage of the line through the guide structure. A strike of the fish causes frictional unclamping of the first portion of the latch member such that the first portion of the latch member suffers frictional clamping and unclamping wear and tear. The invention is improved by a spring sleeve surrounding the other end of the line as the line runs upwardly and rearwardly along the first portion of the latch member, through and against a portion of the eyelet, and then forwardly and upwardly for a predetermined distance relative to the eyelet. In the latched condition, the sleeve spring assumes a curved formation around the eyelet and, in the released condition, the spring sleeve assumes a straight formation such that a longitudinal axis of the spring sleeve is substantially parallel to a top surface of the diving plane.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a fishing diver includes a diving plane having a forward end and a rearward end, and guide structure on the diving plane for guiding a fishing line, one end of the line extending to a baiting lure or the like and the other end of the line being reelable for trolling. The diver includes a releasable latch member on the diving plane having a latched condition clamping the diving plane to the line such that upon trolling the diver dives from downwardly at an angle to the trolling line. The latch member has a released condition responsive to the strike of a fish on the lure unclamping the diving plane from the line and enabling the diving plane to slide along the line in the trolling direction. The latch member includes a pivoted latch arm, a front upstanding tab on the forward end of the diving plane pivotally mounting the latch arm and also guiding the line rearwardly through the tab. The latch arm has an eyelet at the end thereof opposite the front tab, the line extending through the eyelet then through the front tab. A protective sleeve in the form of an elongated coil spring encircles the line and extends rearwardly of the front tab, and then through and beyond the eyelet such that an inside surface of the spring provides an increased surface area for the line in the vicinity of the eyelet whereby to minimize the line breakage. The spring extends alongside the latch arm in both the latched and released conditions. The latch member includes a pair of gripper jaws on the forward end of the diving plane. One end of the spring is secured to the latch arm at a point between the front tab and the gripper jaws by a resiliently collapsible tubular member. The latch arm in the latched condition is pivoted rearwardly and frictionally held by the gripper jaws along a central portion of the latch arm between the eyelet end and the pivotally mounted end. The latch arm includes a line clamping portion coacting in the latched condition with the line gripper structure between a base of the gripper jaws and the front tab to clamp the diving plane to the line. The diving plane may have a circular or rectangular profile, the latter being a trolling planer having a ramped portion and a planar mounting portion for mounting the latched member thereon.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.